Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria’s Budget Minister Atiku Bagudu urgently warns malnutrition drains the economy, stressing swift action prevents fiscal instability.
He highlights delayed interventions risk deepening losses, urging nationwide strategies to prioritize nutritional support and stabilize economic growth.
He urged stakeholders to implement effective nutrition policies during a high-level dialogue in Abuja on Thursday.
Bagudu emphasized that malnutrition costs Nigeria an estimated $56 billion each year.
This figure represents about 12.2 percent of the nation’s gross national income (GNI), highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning organized the dialogue in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada and Nutrition International.
It focused on the severe consequences of inaction around nutrition, emphasizing how malnutrition affects public health and results in the loss of approximately 23 million IQ points annually.
Bagudu stated, “It is pathetically worrisome that Nigeria risks substantial economic losses in billions of dollars.
Additionally, this leads to lost productivity and needless public health expenditures due to our inaction on effective nutrition policies.”
Call for Sustainable Financing
The minister underscored the importance of sustainable financing as a key strategy to combat malnutrition and improve food security. He called for increased commitments from both public and private sectors to reduce reliance on international donors and development partners.
“Sustainable financing remains among the best options to drive our multisectoral approaches to improving nutrition and food security,” he added. “This will entail an increased commitment from public and private sources to implement programmes and initiatives that address the root causes of malnutrition.”
Bagudu reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to prioritizing nutrition in the National Development Plan (NDP) and the Nigeria Agenda 2050. He also noted ongoing collaboration with the Office of the Vice-President and the National Economic Council (NEC) to extend nutrition interventions to local communities through the recently launched Nutrition 774 initiative. This programme aims to address malnutrition at the grassroots level across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) in Nigeria.
Legislative Support for Nutrition and Food Security
Chike Okafor, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food, echoed Bagudu’s sentiments, stressing that efforts to tackle malnutrition must go beyond Abuja and reach states, LGAs, wards, and communities where hunger is most prevalent.
“The conversation to tackle the twin challenges of malnutrition and lack of food cannot start and end in Abuja,” Okafor said. “Seventy percent or more of the persons that live in Abuja can afford a good and balanced diet.”
Okafor also highlighted legislative efforts aimed at reducing food insecurity.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle multiple taxation on food and farm produce during transit, a key factor driving food inflation and insecurity. “By collaborating with state assembly committees, we aim to reduce or eliminate this issue through legislative reforms,” he further explained.
As Nigeria confronts its malnutrition crisis, officials and stakeholders are urging coordinated action to lessen its severe impact on public health and economic growth. The discussions stressed the importance of localized solutions and sustainable funding to address malnutrition’s root causes.
Initiatives like Nutrition 774 and food taxation reforms offer hope for meaningful progress in reducing malnutrition and ensuring food security. However, experts emphasize the urgency of swift action to prevent further economic losses and enhance the lives of millions.